Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-07-28


husband. lt was pretty sight to see
how attentive he was to her, how de-
voted, and Mrs. Grey's eyes often filled
with tears as she watched them.
Mrs. Grey went bat seldom to Claw
ering, but when there she liked to hear
the people speak of the duke and
duchess. They were generally the
subject of conversation, every one
praised them; people said the duke was
q model landlord, he was the most just,
the most generous of men, and the
duchess was the loveliest, the most
gracious, the most kindly of women.
They told hundred pretty anec-
dotes of her-of her kindness to the
poor, of her generosity, her loving,
tender heart: the very name of the
young duchess was idoliZed among
them, and all this was sweet to the ears
of the woman who was content to wait
six or eight hours for one glimpse of
her face. The duchess, SO the people
said, had no pride; she was gracious
and sweet TO every one, she Went into
poorest women, she was kind to the
poorest children. The duke and her.
self did an immense amount of good
-
as In well directed charities. The
dukes grand aim was to teach the peo-
pie to help themselves; he believed In
clothing clubs, and free Libraries and
good schools. He never lost an oppor-
tunity of impressing upon them the
grand old maxim, "God helps those who
helps themselves" The duchess was
very happy the life pleased and de-
lighted her.
When Ethel Stair was married, she
took with her from Cliffe a pretty,
clever maid, called Jennie Dane, the
Oakcliife Towers. Jennie Dane was
very pretty-perhaps q trifie too
pretty, and Jennie was coquettish. She
loved admiration; IL was as needful to
her as the air she breathed. Because
she was SO pretty and clever-because
she came from Clitle-and also because
the girl in her turn was devoted to her
the young duchess had great liking
for her pretty couuettish maid.
Jennie Dane-Miss Dane as she was
called In the servants hall-worshipped
the very ground on which the young
duchess trod in the eyes Of the pretty
maid there was no one like her. And
yet at times, when Jennie had neglected
a duty or had been more than usually
cOquettish, the duchess knew well how
to administer lecture. 1t, so hap
pened one morning that the duchess
gave into Jennie's hand some priceless
lace; it was family heirloom. 1t
had been worn by the late Duchess Of
Meath, and had been presented by the
duke to his wife The word priceless
describes il best. How much money it
represented it would be impossible 10
stale. The Meath point lace was as
well known as the Meath diamonds.
The duke had sent out invitations for a
dinner-party, and there was to be a
dance after II. The duchess was to
wear dress of pale-rose velvet, and
her husband wished her to wear some
of the magnificent lace with it.
my mothers lace" he said. with a
sigh. IL remember how proud she was
of it she said there was none like it
in England. She would never let any
one touch il but her own maid"
Jennie Dane shall arrange it for
me-" said the duchess. mo one has
better taste" She called the pretty
maid and told her. 1T must be one of
your inimitable touches" she said, and
Jennie resolved that the draping of
thas point lace over the rose velvet
should be work of art.
But, alas for poor human nature-the
duke went out, the duchess went for q
drive, and pretty Jennie was alone with
the velvet and the lace. The morning
was bright and fine. Jennie had a
beautiful color In her face. She was in
high spirits she longed just for little
fiirtation-for few words from one of
her many admirers. OF what use were
the sunshine and the flowers without
that?
Happening to look from the windows
Of the room in which she was engaged
at work, Jennie saw a handsome. stall
wart young gamekeeper going toward
the portion of the grounds known as
the kitchen garden. Now this young
gamekeeper had fallen deeply in love
with Jennie; ne thought her the pref
tiest, brightest, and most bewitching
girl he had ever seen, and Jennie was
delighted with his homage-the more
so as all the girls in the household
were slightly Jealous, Michael Hands
was great favorlte with his grace, and
it was expected that he would be pro-
NOTED.
An honest, industrious, handsome
young man, and he had been wooing
Jennie for some weeks; and Jennie, up
TO this, had not vouchsafed him one
smile.
But this morning so bright, and she
herself looking so pretty-she had a
pretty cap, too, with pink ribbons on
her ripping brown hair-the scent of
roses and the song of birds was in the
air. She would just 90 down and pass
by the end Of the garden; then she should
be sure to meet him, and she knew we'll
that the pink ribbons would drive him
to distraction.
How good it is to be young and
pretty, to wear pink ribbons and love
the sunshine, to have handsome young
lover, and to be in love with life as
Jennie was. Down went the rose vel
vet-carefully folded though-down
went the point lace, and Jennie did not
notice that it was not so carefully
folded and that one corner touched the
grounds: down went Jennie full of
coquettish delight. She was Just in
time to meet Michael at the gate Of the
kitchen garden, Of course she expressed
the utmost surprise, what was he doing
there? How were the birds getting on?
She hoped all the bright plumaged
pheasants would not be shot. She
thought shooting birds very cruel end
sport! All the time she
watched the effect of the pink ribbons
upon him, and saw that they had
overcome him entirely. Jennie Dane
never dreamed that her little Irritation
with the handsome game keeper was
the first link in q chain of circum
stances that would affect the lives of
many.
81 must CO." said Jennie. at is a
lovely morning, and II were duchess
should go rambling through the